A Short

Account of the History of lrri$ation

Works uP to the llth CenturY
IJv C. W" NIC.FIC}I,.\S

(1)

The Pre-Christian Period

comrnenting o11 verse 43 of chapter 7 gf the Multd|arir:*ir rvhich
.
flinisters {ound villages the
:,.L,11.1s, here and there did- vijaya's
"
: nnsntta!?ctkasini (T:i,ku) says at page z6r,,' in various places rvhere
'lhit
elt
r att'r r'vai reaclily available, they establi-'hectr villages ''
"r-as
i'
the
Ceylo*,
of
colonisation
! !)e very bcginniirg of the Incl'-Aryan
i;rir century B.c. aciording to the legcnd. The necessity_for,establishing
:'4t1-lcments in proxinity to rvater is apparcnt, and the best natural
,-rirl-ccS of rvater rvould have been the ril'ers. The identiilablc' cerrl-rr
,rttlements lr.ere all ciosc to rivers : -Tambapan4i, ' on the rnost trovelv
.o1rth banl< of the rivcr the. river hcre b_eing the Kadamba-rtttii, trorv
,ili)\\rn as the Malvatta" Oyil or Aruvi Ar-rr; Anuradhag.lnra, orr tlte
I rne river ; upatissaga.ma, a yoiana norih of ,{'nuraclhapura arttl olr tirt:
r,arnbhira-nadi, ,rut" ihe Kaqacleira Ova; Ljluvela, a port at the nronth
iri 1.ire l{ala oya; vijitanagr.rra, present Polorinaruva or vcn- close_ ttt
,i, irear the MihavAliGungn; Dighav* or l)ighavapi, on the (ial O1-a
rrr ttrc Ratticaloa district; and l,Iahagdma, rnodern llissamaharrltn:r, b1r
'larntrapanll i
t iNr iiilinda Oya. lhe seat of the ruler, first cstablishecl at
.,,r.t.s rnovecl .uithin r5o years up thc Jlalvatt:r oYa to Llpaiissa*.i.rna.
r.rir1 then to Auur:adhapura.r

'lhe Inclo-Ar)'an scttlers Jt-otlt nrlrtlt-tvcstern and nOrth-s,listel'n

iltlia (ttr.- fnclus incl (ianges val]e]'s) rvelc accluaitltecl u'itli ilr-igirrion,
.1r-rr. ir.rigation is rcfer-rec1 to in tire Rigi'ctltL,:uirl they ate i'ict' a.s a
rttlrpl; foocl altftougtrr other grains, nrit culti"'able in Ceylott. ttele
,rr:rcr1

in

their: trrornelands.' Ricc, likcrvise' \\'as thc Jood

ol lhc

aistr
5or-rth

Jnctrian pcoltles u.ith u,hotn thc Iu<lo'Arvan ntariners, coastins ilon'n

i'r:lin thit rlcltas rlf the llclus and thc {'a.nges, rnade earlitr. possiblv
truch eiirlier, acrluaintance belore thev vettturecl further south\1'altL to
: l|!.lon. Neither: in the lancls clf their o|igin nor in South {ncii.r dirl
iu're clcr.elop an irr:igation systcnt of the m:rgnitudc rlr comple-titr- oi
3o-34

z"

Conr,britl,ge

11{

tlislory of fndia, Vol' T, to, t3.i,

7. 3s-'i5

t.'l'g
594.

41

JOURNAL- R.A.$. (CIIYT,ON)

that rvhich the

Sintrrale-se

t'ot. ltII. (Netn

Seri,es),

tgitt

afterr,ar(ls constnrctecl in cleylon : nothing

cornpar.able and contcmporaneolls rvith thc ancient clan, ialal ar-rc1 talii
systen-r of Ceylon, mingling the u'aters of r-ir.er-s Jlt,$,inc in clifferent
r[ilectiorrs, ir l<nuu'n irL,.oniinerLta] lrr,lia.

Thc earliest mention of the brrilcling of ri ta'k occurs i' th,-:

: it is stated that tire princc Anuracrha, at the encl ri{
the Oth.centur-\/ r':l-c. accorcling to Sinh:rlese chr.onoiogv, buiit a tanli at

logcnclar'1. periocl

Anut'trdirag:Lrla- (afteru-arcls i\nur:acllrapura).,! patiiluk:tbhaya, lfic

thc iir-st luler to rlakc Anuraclhapura iiis capitai ancl u.iio r-uled,
accolclirrg to traclition, in the 5th,/,1th Centur:y n.c,., ir creclitecl rl'ith the
construction of JayavApi (a natural pondclammecl andmacle into a tanli)
,
Abhayavapi (present R:rsavak-ku1am) ancl Ga'ranivairi (perhaps prescnt
Pc..rmivanl<ularn) at his seat of government :a the tiadition itrr.i th.r.
u'cre the earliest tanks to be consiructccl in th,e ancient citv mav rvell be
truc, ttrrouglr it is probable tirat Basa'ak-ku1am. \vas enlargecl latert
n'hen it rvas inclucled in the Ja-va (ianga (I{alav:iva-Tisaviiva Voa,r-alo)
exlertsion scherru-. 'l hcre can lre rro dorrbt tlrat in ir.riga.t iorr, as iri
other ll'anchcs of engineering, the beginnings rvere smali. - l|herle is no
rvas

cviderrr-c to >rrppolt th.e a<5,1n1p11on:.ofsorne rr L.itcrs that ihc abor.iginals

rvhoever thelr l1'ers, had

buiit tanks belore the arrir.al ol

the"Incio.-

or that the Incio-Ar1-a's .hacl begun to corrstr*ct majo:.

irrigatio' *orl<s in pre-christian times:
l! tne rst cent'ry r.c.,
Aryeins,

pro}abJ1'
largc'. thir.n the village tank had been atteilpteci.
'othing
Although the
construction of rissavapi (iisnviva) at Anur:rclhap.rra is
a.ttributed in ttrre chronicles,-doribtless quite accuraiely, to Devanarirpil'lr
fissa (l-c. z4/-z!7). n'e knol that its capacity- must have 6een
incrcased ttr unable it to contain ancl discharge the augmentecl supp11,
wh19h.it began_to re_ceivc in the 5th cent'-rv c,r laier thro'gh'th"e
artihcial carral,-Ia.y-a
!;anga from_the great, nerv reservoir, Ka"lavapi
(I(alaviir.a).(' Similarly,
thougir r\akara"r'avi (present Nuva'aviiva) it
Anuradhapura is mentioned in an inscription oi Gai.bahu I (rr4_r3r1),
it _attained its present dimensions only after pattapasanavapi (preient
NS"ccadt^'a_) rvas built in the 6th century ancl i feeder'canal ro.as
constructed to convey an additional suppll,i of lvater to the Anuradha_

pura fescr\rolr./

\Ve reacl i'tire Mahdt'attsct of the im.portance a.ttachecl tc,

irrigatio' ancl food prod*ction in pre-christian times. In the 3rcl
3. ,1.1. ro. 83, E8, 95, 96.
4. r11. 9. rr.
-5. Present di.rensio.s :-clam, r rnilo 1o.g:'ril zz fcct high : arca, 33o aores6:
-lL :o. :o: .jS. 1:, .!',: 1,,. J:. 5,r: P,ti. :7. 'flrt, 1r53ss61 dirnon5j6n. q1
_.
trsirvir\.r
,r;.r:_bunLl, r lrrrlc.r l,,rrg arrd :3 {oob lriglr : at.eir, jqo ilcres: ar,,;i

irrigated, r,o3-5

acres.

4t. O1 ; E.Z. III. rt6. Brohier is of opinion that the canal rvas it
" 7" \ beloro
existencc
Niccardirva ta"n1i rvas constructed. Arrcient rrrigation't\roiis ',
"
l.rrt lI rr.

r.

5|{oJl'I

ACr(loI-INl'

oI'TJTE FITSIfORY OIr IIIRIGATIOIi 'iV{)liKS

45

constrtlction oJ a small ta.nii.q

supervi,recl
.tire
Labliiyav-asafha, achievecl a grtrat reputation. by his
to move rlor-e earth \;hen tank-building ttran, it is said,_ten or
:lbility"Lr.int,

..tilti1ry n.c. thO uparajir"

:L-tr,,

oih.]: me,.." In the z'cl ccntury,n c', th. Dighavapi district

;;;;
,.,i;l;i; .,irlr"rpona"cl approxi'ratcly to the present Gal O'a Valley)
,,l,rr'ft . 1;riniipal 1i6e--lirochrcing iegion in Rohana and thc king's
and the
i'ri,ir.,"i..ir.to.ti.tinn.d thcre to --.upeiintend the cultivation
ate
P:c-)
centur)period
o{
ttrris
tanks
Jeu,
A
.f,i.t.'"iti"g
.(znf[

,o.rrtiotr"d by name :-Hundarlr'api in Kulumbari-kaqnilca in liohana ;

|tifraio"api, norv the small, breactrricL tank belorv t6e Veherakerna ruins
to
r,r:rr the ioastal village of Kirinc'ia ; S*rnanavapi or Sarnanviiva, 3o

south-east oiAnuracihap*ra ; Pcliv:1pi, 55 to 7o r'iles 'orth of

! n'raclhapura, spuriously iclentifiecl as prescnt Vavunik-kulam, a. large

,,,

-it.,

; Dubbaiavapi , f)rlratissakar''irpi, irl the

r'r ghbourhood Dambulla-sigiri-va ; a'c1 Kul'tthavapi or f(alzutaviva,
Orrly one (l)*ratissal<ai^i ililes south-east .J {'uiacih.p'r-a.11'lh.e

-i,-ucrvoir oi nea.ty z,ooo icres

,

lli'tirl) of itr*re early tanks is mentioneri-again.

in-'criptions rlateable"
not withoLt some clo*bt, t. tlc z*ctr ceirt'ry u.c. *ftich contain
'.1,i.,'g5
,,{erences to irrigation rvorks are trvo in number ; the first, aicribecl to
'l'nigalzr in the
,1ie r-eign of Dutihagamani AbhzLy. (r.c. r(rr-r37), is at
t',tfi
('thi. tairk',
, 1trfi* tlistricl air.l rccnr',1s rhc tlorration o[ irn,r
,lrat is, the verv small tanl< stili in existence belorv the site oJ the
Par::ilrrak:rnda Vihara : rvhile
',,r,t ipiio,-t) to the monastery' nou' eallccl
'lri*comaiee
clistrict, is the r:ccord
tiie
ire
Nacccrimalai"in
at
sdcond,
r
:,i" Si";t ;t tr.n ir-rigation channel (adi) at a place named Abagamiya.li
I lre Sinhalese PuicTiatiya namcs tn el'e tanks built by king Sadclhatissa
i'ri.c. r37-rrg), n.hile the Rajut:atiya sals that irc built eighteen tanks:
,hr: foimer thronicle credits thi-s king rvith the construction of the
.:nmense reservoir Pacli (now Paclalila), a rvork entirely bevoncl the
i;iil ancl resources of thc'peop1u,r{ th,, zD,l t:ent'rry R.c.13 The other
,rnks ascribed to Saddhetitit o.. :'--liatunnar:u : this tank rvas in
.t,;rkkhi4adesa ancl .,r,as rcstorccl bv hoth vija.,,abahu I and Parald<ama,lhu I ; Divagula, N:ipiyoba, Sotiig:irrlu\ra, Lena,l{ahamala, I(:inclaia'
::luclala-anc1 t[ahagurunalr:, all of ni]-rich ar,., not mentioned again ; :rncl
iiiLlacleniya, $,hicdmay be iclentir:al $'ith late'r lfilag.fuia, identified by
'ociringtJn as the breactrrecl )Ialaga'ru'a tani< in Vasgarnuva. It may
,,:ilc1y ile assumed that ail these il-ere srnall reserrroirs'14

8.
c).
10.
:r r.
',t1. 3z

M.22.4.
XI. 23. 9o-91.

M.24.2,3, 58:32.

z.

Xt. 23. 45., c)o : 2.5. 5o, u6 : l.'-,r 3, 3q : 3-1. 9 : 3i1. t7-t9: '+r' 99: 49' 5^9:
r63'
; E.M.-zs.'t|z ; )lI.T. 15t, 3o;'I'/tu- r3(i, r6z,

12. A.I .C. t: '1.5.C"A.R., 1933, rS.

13- Puj. t8; Rai. 44.
I.+. M.6o. 1g: tr8. 46, 47 '. 72. 50.

.46

JOUIS,NAL, R.-\.S.

(C'})YLON)

l;ot. IrII, (lrerc ,serrics), lgri$

'rhe descendants ol the pioncor Inclo-Aryan

colo'ists of ceylon
hacl spread by the rst.ccntur1.B.c., as their numerous inscriptions in
thc llrahmi script testif.l-, not only over the entire clry zonc'but also
irrt.o the K.tigaila and colornbo clisiricts oJ the lorvcouniry n-ct zone a-q
u'ell as into the lot.er montane zone aronncl Gampola, Kanc15., Telclcliya.
Bogocla ftrorth-u'est of r3aduila) ancl r{ataio. Thc dr-y ,orre occ.ipi",

sevelrty per cent of the total lancl al.ra of c]eylon. it possesses'far

greater cxtcnts of flat lirnri suitabic {or rice cujtivatior.r dhir.n the v,et:
zone, but since it receive-s the raiirs of only one monsoon (the north-cast.
fro'r october to.April) *.a.ter stor-age and cultivation by ilrigation are
nec{-rssar\.- Settlement in. prc-(-hr:istian tirnes in thd K.ri}aila ancl
colonrho,li:tlicts (thc ancierrt iiirrg,lorrr oI I(aryir.ri,,r tiriiiivat an,t
tnc lu\vor nrontanc valler- ul llrr }lalravJli Ganga rrray have'becrr
encouragetl by the fact that in these regions rvater" is
p.olt.* ,.rra
trrlgattun rs rro[ i]eccssar\'. But thcre rve rc thc disarlvanlagcs
"o
of
Iimiterl areas Iol cultivation. i)lulo Jrc,luent lLncl clevasta{ing fioo, ls.
gleatcr erosion, lou'cr f.ielcls, and an rrnceasing str.uggle ae;irrst thc
in19a,ci. oi rank vcgetaiion : anrl thes,. disa,Lvaritag.r,'liJfi.l
irr,..
wnrcn are not now apparent, seem to have induccd a return to the clry
zone of a large prop-cirJion of the early rvet zone population. The
evr(lcllce rn suppurt c,f this hypothcsis is thc hiatus oIa thorr,ancl
III thc cprgraphical records of thc *et zone: insc'iLrtio:rs arc vears
auitc
numerous rip to the rst century e.c., and thcn there-is a Iong silence
till tlrey rec'r in the roth ceniury.ri This feature corrtrastr'siraiply
with the chy zone rvhere the epigraphical conti'uity is u.brolien fr'ona
early to rnedieval times, ancl is- stiongly suggestive of a' exodus of
popuiation from the rn'et zone settleme'ts,- commencing about the
rst centur:y and coinciding, probablv, witti the beginning-of organisecl
development of the dry zone uncle} irrigation prijects"of incieasing
rnagnitucle which rendered vast, nen'extents oI lani cultivable" it ii
not irnpossible that coercion u'as e xercised. in this transfer of population,
actuated by-the need for rnore labour in th,e dry zone for co'itruction
and cultir,-ation.

.D^y rne
_Tlrc 'illage tank u'as ;r rvell-established feature of the dry zone
by
the_rst
f sr century 8.C.,
n.c., but more ambitious projects
proj
rvere being assayed.
The chrordcles rnention bv name only four-of the irrigatil'
igation rvorks.
rvorks
const*rcted i' the rst ce'tury s.c.: Ilaudavapi, Arn6adugga and
Rhayoiuppala tanks, and the Vannaka .ar.al in Antaralingal,a
(the region between tire r,Ia.havrili Ganga and the Md.d*ru oy?i i ti,*
existe*ce of the canal is confirmed by an inscription of king M;hadathikamaha.naga (7-r9) near Horivila il'hich menti615 1r1n.Li-"1.r0 if,*
inscriptions of the rst centurv r.c. give more information than the
r-i. Epigraphical and Ter.ritorial llap of Ccyio',

page 5().

r5.

-11. 3-1. 8,

32, 33: C.A. TII. zo5;

E.Z.III.

r57.

i/.C.1?.

IX, No. r, f:rci'g

A rilioliT

ACCJOUNT OF THII] -UISTORY OF IR,JiI(,1I\1.I()N WoIt,KS

,4?

{ lri-oniclcs : they name a number of tanks ancl canals.lt One of ttrese

r:anals, built by king Kulaka44a_fissa (u.r:. 44-zz), irrigated the swarnpr
lince zr paddy field) nciw calleci l{invila on the left bank of the }Iahavdii
(,a"riga, about zo miles dori.nstream from

l{ahagantota. This canal

coulcl harre dcrived its rvater onlv frorn the rivel rvhich is very u'ide in
this strctch, ancl th.e inetlrocl ernployed to clivert the rvater of the rivcr
into the canal is a matter for speculation : no stone clam r,i'as cver built

at-th,is point. An inscription at Gallela Vihara in Vanni Hatpattu

refers to a grant to the temple of fielcls irrigatecl by an avara'na
irnorl. Sinir. oilxlnla or anicut) : this anicut r,r.as probably buiit on the
(iii:ibava-d.la. So that, at.this early periocl, tu,o methods of irrigation
had begun to be practised, (t) smalI, stone dams across streanis ancl
r.ivulets, a,ncl, temporary tirnber-dams at suitable sites across rivers,
trr divert their ri'aters into cirannels (aQ,i or alf) i,r'hich carried lvatcr
rr'r the irrigable area, and (z) village tanks dircctly irrigating the fietcls
lrclolv their embankments" As time passed both rnethods were greatlSr
_.

rlaborated to attain vast dimensions. Many of the early tank-s u'ere

privately orvned, and the lerm i,a j.i-hamilta or uaai-hamiha,' the orvner
ri the tank', occurs in several of the donative inscriptions: some of
tiresc ol'ners tyere women.17A

(2) The lst

and 2nd Centuries

The rst century marks the first step in the advance from the
rillage tank to the rnajor tallr, Tissavdpl (Tisavdva) and Diravapi
iYodaviiva) at Mahagama (Tissamaharama), the capital of Rohafa,
\\', re.co,nstructed b1'Ilanaga (::-q:).,8 'l hese ale fairly large reservoirs
r'rou',t$ but we cannot say ri'hether the original tanks weie canal-fed
Lrom the Kirinda Oya or l,vhether this source of supply s-as provicled
1tqr.- King Vasabha (67-rrr) t'as the first of the gieai, tank-building
:inhalese kings. 'fhe number of tanks attributecl to him is rr ii
sorne Chronicles and rz in others, and they were:-

zz.7-8 Xt. SS.94-97 8.M.35. 95-96 Pwj. zr

\Ia.y'anti Cayanti llayetti
ltajuppala Rijuppaia Rajuppala Ratupula
\-aha
Vaha
Vaha
Iiolamba Kolambaga- Kolambagd- Kolorngalumaka
maka
rEru
D.

Roj"+f
Raduppala
Kebagalureru

r7._ E.Z. ]JI. 156; C.H.J.II. zzr. C.A.III. 77; U.C.R. VIII, No. 2, t2.2;

ser-eral unpublished.

t7A.

Ceylon Jourtzal of lli.storical artrl Soci.al Studies,I,

t.

19. Tisivziva :-bund, r rnile iong and r7l fect high : area, 552 aores.
_,
Yo$aviila :-trund, zl, miles long and 16 feet liigh : area, r,z7o acr6i. Boilr
tanks irrigate 6,50<l acres.

48

JOUITNAL" lt'.A.S.

(OEYLON)

ltol. VII,(Neu;

Seri,es),19i>9

Roj. +Z
I). zz. 7-E M. 15.rjy97 II.M..l5. 95-9() Pu,j. zr
llairanikliha- Matrranik- Mahanik- ]Ianakiti Mi.nikavalti

vatti
Iichala
Keli

llaharametti

khavatti

khavitthi

Mairarametti Xfaharamcti
Kohala Kohala

or
Kali
IiAlivasa Kalivasama
.|ambuti Cambuti Carnbutthi
Latharnari- Cathaman- \ratharnan- l'Iangunu Maigunna
gaqa
gata
ga4a
:\bhivaddha- Aggivaddha-Aggivacl- Akvaclunni Abir-adur-rna
minaka clhaminaka
inenalia
Kali

Kelivasa

\itupatpAta Nitupatpdna
Kri,likol omna K.{lanikolonn a
-l\la, e,iunni A lava,.lunrra

Kalusimbala Kalusilubala

I'Iakulumun- Makulla
gllnu
Vaclunna

identifiable. }Iavetti (the name used later in

in Vi1acci5,"a Korale
uf Anura-dhapura district: it spans the M-tltuagam -4ni rlntl tas
Some of these are

t7te Cil,laaair,sa) is the present X{ahavilacciya tank

eniarged in the gth century to reccive a supptrementarv supplrr of tvater

f rom the Kal:rviva-Tisavd.va Yoda-:ila (Ja5ra tianga).21 I'Iahanikkhar-alti or l{anakiiti is the tank nol linou'n as }IanankAttiya near tire
rzth milc on the Eastern }finor Road, Anur-idhapura clistrict : it is a
.moclerately large reservoir n'ith a perimeter of over- thre e rniles.
Iialivapi or KAlivasa has been iclcntilied by Codrington as Kaliyarrarlanav:iva in Pitigal I{ora1e.2r llell hirs identifiecl Cathamangana. or
){angulu rvitlr the tank at Noccipotana, near Manampiti\za.:2

r\ggivaCdham-rnakavapi or Akvaclunna is Hirivaqlunna tank, onc n-iile

fiom Habarana.2'J Nitupatpanaviiva may be the original tank tvhich
later became the great Pattapasanavapi or Patpalav:i"va, present
Nd.ccadhva tank. These rvere not majcir u'orks by later standards, but
tire largest had circumferences of two or tlrree miies and all u,ere
considerably Jarger than the village tank of the time,

_ King Vasabha also constructecl tu'elve canals <if which onlv the
,llisara cinal (Alahara Yoda-rila) is nrentionecl by name.ja This ivellknorvn canal, rvhich took ofi from a rlam on the Amban (ianga at
20.
2r.
22.
23.
21.

M. 44. go, aoo, r2z: 5 r. r jo.

II. 68. 451' 1\1.7. 653.
E.Z. U. g; C.A.IV. r, zr ; A.I.C.6r ; C./.S. II.
illl. S5.gS,

M.15.gs-

zo.

,\ IIIIOIIT ACCOUNT

OF-

'IIli.] HISTOR,Y OF IIiIiICATION \VORKS

,\latr:ira, became the feeder caual for the grca"t l{inleriya tanl<

later.

49

tn-c;

Tire Chronick: sa-vs that \''asa.bha donatcd a sharc ot.

tlrc revcnues from this canal to a \rihara in the district in n'Jrich the
prcsent, breached Kavuclulla tank lies (6.miles north of Milrlc.r1ya) :
ihis means that the canal then ran from Alahiira at least as far as the
ccnturics

vicinity of I{avuclulla. \,'asabh:r's ca.nai did not carry the voiune o{

\\'atcr \\.hich it ]ater dicl rvhcn it fcd l'Iinncriya tank, but it hacl a lcngtlr
'if about 3o ililes, ir-rigatecl a large tr-act of country, ancl probablrr:nlptiecl into the Kiri O1,1 or thc Kavuclulla Oya. Ttrre success{ul
oonstruLrtiorl oJ a canal of this consiclerable length meant that in thc:
i,st centur-\r thc Sinhalese had clevelopecl a high degree of instrumental
:rccuracv in contouring ancl lcvelling : it also meant that they u"er-e
,r,o11, 4ble to build stone clams across la.rge rivers likc the Amban Ganga.
|asabha's engineers are creditecl u,ith a thircl notable achievemeni :
they conclucted lr,ater to the bathing tanks at Anuradhapura through a
s-vstem of unclerground pipcs, cloing a"r,va"y rvitlr the sur{acc channcls
rl-hich existed before.2t

Grants to rnonasteries of shares tLncl revenues of various kinds frorr

to be recorclecl in the inscriptions of the rst
century and occur rvith increa"sing frccluency thereafter. First cane
tlre sharc caTled bojiyapati, the landlord's revenue, which is mentioned
in connection rvith tri"nks as rl-ell as crops. Then there was d,altapati,
re\renrle from the suppl-y o{ x'ater, applicable to both tanks and dams.
.Dakabaha ancl bahapatzl appear to have had r-eference to shares and
revenues from rvater as well as from. crops. Matera-maji-baka ttas the
sharc frorn the proceeds of hshing jn the tanks. Mahnpati tmeans
iiterally ' the great revenlle ', but three maltaf atis from the sarne source
tanl<s and canals begin

arc sometimes mentionecl: makapati was sub-divided into hotasa.

l)o.pati meant tu,o portions of the revenue. These revenues paid taxes
or clues called kara, ancl the expression hora kailaya,' having remittccl
lhe dues', occurs frecluently in the donative grants.26 The precise
r-a1ue oJ these shares,

revenues and taxes, and the mode of payment

or-

itcovery are not knoll'n.

The inscriptions of the rst, end and 3rd centuries name nearly
l5o tanks and canais rvhich are not mentioned in the Clhronicles.
\iillage tank construction proceedecl apace as population increased ancl.
.:pread into nerv regions, and doubtless village tanks u'ere also enlargedl
to increase the prodrictive areas under them.
A great famine, probably brought about by an exceptionallrr
sc\rere clrougtrrt, occurred in the vears r88 and r89 : it was knou.n as the
lfkanalika famine (ttuli nearring a certain measured quantity) because
1.irc people r,r,ere leducecl to that small quantity of rice for their food.:;
25"
26.

,1,1.

35. 98.

Scvcral are unpublished: but see E.Z.

:ice also J.R.A.S. (C.R.), Nerv Serics. \', rzg.
)l

zi

>a

I. 255: III. tr7: I\i. rz6, ::7,

50

JOUi,i,N'\L, R.A.S. (CDYI-ON)

I-aI" 1'']]. i-\rer'Sciic,s), llliil

(3) The 3rd Century

'lhe 3r:d century marked a remarkable advarlcL-' iu the science anci
practice of irrigation enginecring. In tire reign ot king Nlah6.sen:r
qz753or), a king renorvncd in lristory for his pro(ligious tank-building
activitics, came the first colossal reser-voirs. ]{ahrisena's irrigation
u'orks, enumerated at 16 tanlis ancl one great canal, t\rre as follou's:-\Ianihira
llahagama
Challfrra
Khanu
Mahamani
Iiokavata
Dhammaramrna
Kumbalaka
Vahana

Ilattamrilakanclaka

Tissavacldlramnnal<a

Velarigavitthi
l'{ahagallak.r
t rra
i\{atrrada.ragallalia

i{aiapisana

Marrihira
}lalragama
Challlua
Khanu
}lahamani
Kokavrita
}{oraparaka
Iiunrbaiaka

Pwj. z4

llaj.

Uinihiri
i l,Iuvagamultr
Suralla

}linihiriya
?Muvagamuva
Suralla

5z

}{anadiyadora Kuradidora

l\{airarniniya

}'{ahaminiya

Iiol<kadanavva

Ponnd.r.a

liimbulvana

Kimbulvana

\rahana

llattama.l"Tk:rn- llattala

Itatgala

c1a.ka

I issava,.lr.lharnl- l(at iisa

idarririya

naka

\ sFIOR1' .{CCOtIN'l' OF THtl I{ISTOP'\I o}- IRIIIG,\TION IVORIiS it

th.e n'atcr into ,Vlilrrl6riya tank u.as namecl the l-ilavatthuka or Ta.lavatu
,:unal, possibly because a natural stream of that name was coirverted
{.o use as a canal : ancl the surviving section of t-tre original Alahd.riL
rtaual branchecl. ofi lvlterc the nc'nr: 'fal:rrratu-illa comrnenced ancl
r:ontinued its old course to u'estu,arcl of i\IilnEriya. The length of the
rreu,Alahaira-Talavatu caLral flcrm hcaclrvriri.
th. Amban"Ganga to
"ti
'[in4eriya tank lvas z5] miles.

Tissavaclclhamanaka tank, called ltantisi in inscriptions,2r, has

bcrn correctly icientified by Codrington as the present, breachecl
iiavudulla tank, to north of Xfilr]eriya : it n.as a very large tank and
leceived a part of its supply from a canal, about b miles long, r'hicir
rssued

Chalhlravapi

or

present Huruluviiva, reccntly

r;entur1r.

l'fahamanivdpi

or

]Iahaminivaviiva, :rs,:ribccl earlier

to kirg

iihlrtikatissa, is Maminivavij-r.a in the village, and IidralG of the same

narre in thc Anuradhapura district, ancl is no nlorc than a large village
tank.3r liumbalakavApi is probablv identical rvith the tank later
ciillccl Iiurnbhilasobbhakavapi, a largc, abandonecl tank on thc
triirnbulvana Oya no"v knorvn as Niramullaviiva.:r2 Rattamaiakancl;Lkavapi may be thc tank at Ma.ha ]tatmale, a" ferv milcs south of
:\nr-rraclhapura, lvhich is nor,r'much smallor than it originallv u-as.
NlahagallavApi, prcscnt l,Iagallav:iva at \ikavariitiya, rvas cni,argccl
in thc rzth ccntury. )ialapasanav:,rpi existecl in

ir.v Parakkamabahu

t\4anih,iravapi, callccl Milihotu in inscriptions, js th,e great

-\{irinriva tank rvlich. has a buncl nearly r i miles lrlrig and 44 feet
.irigh, submerges 4,b7o acres and .irrigates 4,ooo acres. The Sinhalesr:

sittt,

rst centllrv and is calied I{alapahanaka-vavi in an inscription lru

of thc rcign of Vasabha (67-rrr), a.ncl the x,ork carried out bv
i\Iahascna was evidently to increase its capacity : it is tr fairly large
tlr.r:

Cirronicles say that llalr:Lsena clamrncdt.tre Kara Ganga ipresent Amban

(ianga) ancl brougirt the rvater to }'Iipqcriya tanli along the 'lalavatu
canal, which,lamc survives toclay as'falvatura Oya. Tirc alreacly existing Alisara (AtahLira; cana.l rvas utilised as thc basis of this schemc, but
it rvas necessary that the hcaclrvorks and thc canal shoulrl be enlargerl
to divert and car-ry a greath. increasecl supl)hr of u-ater. 'lhe neu',
tc-rminai section, -qome -1 miles Jong, of the enlargecl r:anal nhich carried
irr rr;spcct of piace-names.

is

iiow called Mahakanadar-ava. 'fhe length of its bund is given in a

rzth century inscription as r,6oo ri1t644;"to in acldition to impounding
[he waters of the Kanaclara Oya, it l'as fe<,l by a canal frcim the
i'ialvatta OVa but this additional supplr n'as provicled in the qth

l)abbataiita canal, Pabbatanta cana[,

on tire tlanga
on the Gangir

28. The Rii,ji.tualiya, the nrost lcccni oI lhe Chroriclc::, ir

Suraiiav:iva

rcstorecl, a, major u'ork on the Yan Ova, near Yakalla. Iihanuvapi is

svnonvmous i,vith Kanavd.pi, Kanaviiva ar-rci Iiafadiyadora, and is the
iarge breachecl rescrvoir- across thc lia4aclara. Oya, near }fihintalc,

\,-elarigal'ii,thi

)Iahagalla liavuclumagahi l'Iahaluva

C-ira
Sirivald.ssa Siruvela
,\{ah5.daragulla }Iadaragal -l Soragaila
I{alapisiura l{alavana liallavAna
Sakumrlboru i)usiiumbura
Sulugalu
Suguluva
{ ieitup
l3clpitiya
i'leiipitil'a
\t-adunnava \'-adunndva2!

from Mifneriva tank.

irrr;61';1f[y in error

l-ank situatcd in Vilpattu, norv rr-rined an<i kno-.vn as I(arambakulam.:J'r

iulugalu.vava is Hulugallavtiva, 5 rniles north-norttr-east of Nikavar-rifilra. i\foraparaka tank appears to be identical ri'ith Moravapi, nor'v
the large, trbancloned reservoir south o{ thc l{ala Oya in the north-

29.
urr.ro.

3r.
Ii.
13.

E.7,. TI. 32, 112 ; C../..S. TI. zo8.

xI .5o.72:6o.5o:i9.3q;L,..2.1.
XI. 3(t. 3

-{,/. Oo. 5u

rr^:;C./.'!. lI.rs;-4.,S.C",4.R.,1937,

11. 2r.

; 70. J3.

Codrington, Coi,ns of Ceylott, tg3, text rclised.

lt2

.IOURNAL, Ir,.A.S.

(CItrYLON)

Itol, VII. (Neu

Serles), l95fit

\\.est collter of Nagampaha Koral6 : it is velrr likclir that it I'as Jccl

by a branch of the canal ri'hich lec1 \\'atcr from I(alnviiva to Siyambaliigirmtva tank : the clistrict \t,it-s nalnecl after tlie tanli, l'toravalpirattha.'r+ 'l'iie Pabbatanta canal on thc I'Iahavriti (ianga probably
flon'ecl ea,strvar-cl past J)irnbulngala ((iunrrer's Quoin), a clistance of over

zo miles.

l'he -{lahi.ra-}tlirlrlCril.a-havLrciulla schcrne ina.uguraterl by }'Iahr1scna \\"as an epoch-making evcnt in the history o{ irrigatio,n in Ccvlon.
lt u'as the sruccess of this pr-ojcct, in all pr-obabilitv, 11'fiit.rr encourageci
ir bigger ."'enture in the samc king's t'eign, ttrrc damning of the Mahaviili

\ jiHoRll

rlriles long ancl 40 Ject high, subir-rerges

,.u\-eys \\'ater from l{alavlirta t0 ljsdv:iva at ,{lrrirlldhapura and

rrigatcs the intcr:r,ening tel litor5r, n'as constructcci at tir'e same time
rs lhe tank. This ar.rgmentation of thc supply tf lisr.r,::iva, u'hich
',-oulcl hartc inr.olved enlarging its area, \\'as very Probiillly nccessitatccl
r',' the clemalrds of increasing population at thc capital cjt):. The
';rn1is built by Dhatuserla \\re :-

in Ceylon, in orcler- to construct n'hat the.

'tlre great Pabbatanta canal'" 'fhese rrast strides
in irrigation engineerir-ig, in the irnmensitl. of the u'orl<s

,rl{. 3E.

4r,42,50,5r

Kalavipi

tlieir subsccluent, successful operation, cvol<ed in tlie.

iropular iniagination a speciai rcvereltce for the king rvhich led to his.
accompiishecl ancl

Padulaka

Pttj. z7
tiala-tsalalu
) I]adulu

Hambatthi

rleification as Hatr-ajjuru, the gocl of Minneriya.

Mahadatta

r4 others unnalllecl Kelavasa

(4)

The 4th and 5th Centuries

liings
O{ the
of the 4ttr centur-y, Upatissa I (365-4o6) r,r.as clistinguistreci 1or }ri*q activities in extencling the facilities for- irrigation, but
three of the tanks ascribecl to hinr, namely, Rajrppala (earlier ascribed
to \rasabha), \,'alahassa (r,r,irich rnay be iclentical u'ith Cira or Sirivalassa.
built by l{ahasena), ancl ;\mbutthi (probably s1'nonymous u'it}i
Vasabha's Cambuti), appe:r.r to have bcen not nerv l'orks brit extensive

restorations or enlargements of existing reservoirs. The nen' rvorks oJ

Upatissa I rvere the tanks Gijjhak[ta, Pokkharapasayaand (]ondigama,
rronr of rrhichisnot'idenliiiablc. The SinlLale.r.( hlonick s. Pujiuali.vtr
and Rrijaz:aliya, state that this king built Topaviiva, the original
rcservoir at Polonnaru\.a : this tank is callecl 'Ihusavapi or Toyavapi
in the Ctr,lat,aisa, but no statcment is rnacle in that Chronicle as to"
rvhich liing built it.3;

Although there had been short civil tar:s in connection rvith

succession disputes, Ceylon r,as unclisturbed by invasion or aggression

from the Tamil kingdoms of South lndia from the first quarter of the
znd centurv to the yeat 42c), a period of thr:ee centuries, and it u-as.
during this long period of tranquillity that the transition in irr-igation
engineering fronr mocleratcl5r large to stupendous \\.orks took place.
F'or tu'entv-six years, from 4zg to 455, Ceylon u-as r-uled by Taniil
conquerors. Then Dhatusena liberatecl the country froil foreign rulc:
and reignecl tlll q7, ancl just as Mahasena's narne at once recalls
\{inneriy:r. tank, so the name of l)haiusena is inclelibly associated with
the great tank Iialavapi (Iialavri.va) r,trrich hc built. This large
r-escrvoir, l'hiclr may bc describecl as tr,r,in tanhs joined to fbr-m one

E.H.I}. E3, E5 ; ,11. 6e. 8-r_2.

!.1. 37. tz4, r85, 186 : 50. T3 i jg" 4c.53.;.[>uj.26.; Ifcrj.

3]

i;3

l'ltongh the Chroniclc does not say so, jt may be ;l-'-,suntttl u'ith sotlc
lirirdence that the great callal, Jarra GangLr, 54 mile-. in lengtir, u'hich

Malttltutit,sa. cails

31,
35.

()F THlr HrST0ilY oF rFiRl(l-{'fr(-r}i l\rol]Ks

iriir.. has a br.tncl just over

Ganga, the largest rir.cr

foru-arcl

ACOOLTNI'

[(alunnam
I)anavalia

lldanviti
l)anagamu

liitmir.ri
llatrraclabara

Saigamu
Surulu
llalAsu

l{aiianiidel
l1[aha-e1i

lI:l.namatu

Hamb:ittiiivapi is probablv thc same as thc earlier- tatlk, Cambuti

rlr i\mbuttili : Iiclavasi \\ras a Nork of Vasat.rlia: alld Surtliu is
:clentical rvith }l:rhasena's Cirailur:r or Silririla.; thesir thrtr u'ert', there.i'ore, rvorks of augmentation.

I'Iahaciattavapi is the prescnt lladatugamar-rir-iL, tlear the 5rst

,Iile on the Dambulla-Kiikirnva foad, no$r a tanli ,i{ tlc.,rleratc size.
Plrrlagama is present Panankatlanr tanli in the suir-cliriision of the
riame;alne in the llannar clistrict.n't Sarigamu tanli is r.{rw kno\\'r as
\I:iclciakitiS;avliva ancl is situated beloli- Sanganu \rihiira, abotlt 14
l-iiles north-east of Iiurunagala: it is o{ no gfeat sizt. its preselt area
ircing only rr,+ acfcs. l'{aha-eli tank retains the sanle iramc, nfaeliya.
to this ciiy and is situatecl near the rzth mile (rn the .lbbagamuva.i

lcilpitigama road.:r7
-16. D.Z.I.

11.7-. 686 ;

S+.

37.

C.1t.S.

39.

II.

rz4.

jt

l'ol. l:lI,

JOI-'ltNAL.li..{.s.({'ji\-1.{-t\1

(rVea.; Ser"ies),

l95ll

J{anamatu tank u'as certaini)- irr the nortlr-the district is called

I{anamatta ancl the tank Mahanarnamatthaka at a later pcriod --ancl
is probably identical u'itii the large reservoir, (liant's 'lank, in the
Ma.nnar clistrict" Tiris tank ti:r.s a buncl 7 miles long but only 14 feet
high, subnrerges 4,547 acres ancl irrigates r4,roo acres: it is fed by a
canal 17 miles long rvhich takes off from a clam across the Aruvi t\ru
()Ialr,'atta Oya) at lrarai-r';rnankulam. (iiant's J'ank ancl its fcllou,
:\kattinurippu ta,nk, built ltLtel anci sinrilnrly feci bv a canal on tlie
left bank iif the sarle rivcr, n'ere clesignecl to suit ttrre flat tcrrain t'hicir,
is clcvoid of rocky hills or marlierlhr eievated grouncl to rvlr.iclr the.
cxtreuuties of the bunds couicl bc ticc1, ancl are singularly cliffcrent in
c:onstruction to tire general pattern of the othcr merjor tanks.;jB

\4IORKS :15
\ SHORT ACCOLTNI' Ot.' THE HISTORY OF IIIRIG-\TION
of tltc tank, .so that irrigation was not
small in relation to the capacity
t. nrircinal ftrnctiotr. ;ld" ott,"'' tri'o tatrks (Dhanavapi a"nd^Garitara.ri,ii","fil.fr-M"gglfiar" II const.rctcd o* the llalvatta- O'a rvere
;;i;;t;;;1i-hEhH ;t the river ancl are not norv iclentifiable' riorks
Another king of the 6th centrirl' notable Jor the irrig-ation
i (57r-6o4)'
ii.hictrr lverc construct-ecl ;t't ttis rei"gn wa-< Aggabodhi
I'hr:se u,orks \{ere

ilL lz.

by a canal, about 6 miles long, x-hich branched off {rorn the Jaya Ganga
(I{alaviva-Tisavdva Y6da-nla). Simultaneously rvith its constructiou
or shortly a{terwards a canai about g rniles long rvas constructed to
convey water from it to NuvaravAva at Anuradhapura, and only then
did Nuvaravdva attain its full dimensions rl'hich are:-buncl, ,1J
miles long and 33 feet high, area 2,960 acres, and ar-ea irrigated 7o-3
acres. From Nuvaravdva a channel lecl northward for about 9 mile,.
to the reservoir now breached and knorvn as Mahagalkadavaia. Like
the Tisaviva augmentation scheme in the thircl quarter of the 5th
centrlry, the Nuvaravdva augmentation scheme of a century or lnore
later rvas, in all probability, a fruther addrtion to the rvater-supplies
of the city necessitated b-v the grou-ing expansion of its population : it
u.ill be noticed that the extent of fields irrigated by Nuvaravd.va is

38. f,I.ZS.S5: 83. 16; Pu..i. q:; N.S. z3; Parker''s Irrigation Rcport

llamr5,r District.

39. XI" qr.6r,6z.

!+o. I am indcbted to Dr.

llrtj"z't

:,t

in Dakkhiladesa

A gieat canal leading out of llirnihiravapi

Iiurundavapi or' Iiuruucluvdva i-s the lar-ge tank 1r:--);^i?]l"tl

altrvu
Iannimurippukulam, about r,1 miles- s.onth'-south-l est ot -\Iull
stil1
are
'oi
tank
the
abovc
vihara
tn"-i"i"i tn" .""lo"i I(umnda
-1[.
the
form
to
clammedrvas
*'hic]r'
iiver
linorvn as Kumntan
"i!i
Nay
the
of
-A'r'u'
i""ri'tt"t th" Ii;;;iii", the principal tributar-v
Mahindatata" r,vas a smail tank, but !t-\ot} importance blcluse
perloruled on
ccremonies connected rvith an Image of I'Iailinda rvere
near
itr int u"fment: it is the tank iol' knt'ri'uonastheBulankulam'
Gangl
Mahaviili
ilan
is
tire
clam
uiiri"tifo. Thc llariimeihala
the original -canal
i.o* ttU.ft tfre Ui+ipe-c"""i tof.ut ott' Perhaps
\vas extende(I ln
:chcmc
the
:
long
rtas not more than about l7 rniles
the gth century but had vicissitudes.
II
Aggabodhi's younger brotlter -amcl successor' AggabodhiHad
tank-building-kings'.
(6o1:6ilj, *ti ot.'"'"f-ii; great;s1 9.{ t.h"
rir-alled
his ieig,''not been a th;;i &;;'ii1s likll5' that.hc mislritrll;
b5r him
conltructed
ta'nks
Mahdsena in his acc.oilpt;ttt*""tt' The
:

.\vere

'-

Puj. zB
Gangatala
Gangata-ta
\ralahassa Siravaiasli:itiva
Giritala
Giritala

M.42.67

Hovatu
Nerafu

M6"tombu

Elderagala
I{alunnaru
\Iahaudalu

on the

l[adrita
I{alam

Par-:rurvitana for this inforrnation derivcd froru

X\-I,

56

I{ah i ndal atavapi

l'Ia4imekhala darn

liringomLr

unpubiished inscriptions. See {'.C.R.

Raj'

liurunclullir-a lirirunduvava

f"*"a".tupi

au augmentation of )Iahasena's Pabbatanta scire;me.

The 6th and 7th Centuries

Tlre next king u,ith. a clainr to havc made a majol contributiorr
in the construction of irrigation u'orks rvas Moggaltana II (53r-55t)"
He is said to have dammed the I{adarnba-nadi (X'Ialr.atta Oya) ' in ttre
mountains' and to have made thereby three tanks, Pattapasanavapi,
Dhanavapi and Garitarat'Api.:r!t Frotn epigraphical sources4l)
Pattapasa4avipi can be iclentified u'ith the present Naccaduva tank,
7 miles sollth-east of Anuridhapura : it is built across the Maivatta.
Oya but it cannot be described as bcing 'in the mountains'. This
lai-ge reservoir has a bund a iittle ot'er a mile in iength and 35 feet
high, submerges 4,408 acres, ha.s a capacity ol 45,r.18 acre feet ancl
irrigates 4,2oo acres. Its suppl1 frorn thc river rvas supplemented

E, 15,

Siri vacl clhamar-rakavaPi

I)hatusena alscr clammecl tire f{ahavAli Ganga and thcreby

'crcated fields rvhich \\'ere perlnanently tr.a.terecl': possibly this rvas.

(5)

:--

7o.

ttL, ,l/.33.

3z

; E.I:{-l}' 2, ra-r2,23, tr, t::'

Raj' 56
13 tanks, unnamed

I al.. TtII.
_

\'a1a.has-,-i,-i'ii1:i

t'arlier-in tlre ('hr',,riri.le

r\latornb'

olladiita

or
q

sirarr:rliLsk:iiir.^l,riva trracr

to llahase'a anii

(-\ra?r, So?.?:es)" l!);11.

bee'

ascribe.

I : ,\Ialrirlonri.,rrn.,n,,,l
t, ./'rtrrratissa I : riir-irirr'ar,, t"Upatissa
tiirat,;.rr. ;';;;tlrlirinttu
itl>,.r

ii, l)h,atusena: so that

;l:T;:;:ln ,' ;, ; ;,ii"';l :'ii]l, '

,,
{)ver a niile long;rud
Itet

no original u.ork

u.a.s clone br;

' 'i..';lif ;i;l,iililil i. i"j;l"l

o,.;, of .3,rf,f o..."^f u'.^p..iri, ri

,{ 4,goo acres. A rzt}r ccnturl.
ll'.is-"]rL,
irts.r'i1r1 irrn gi'r.-1lrr. ii,,1q11-,rt
irsl,,,nJl. i,..,rnr,:yn,,.or I(antalav tanli
rr-as supplied bv a. canal z9 miJes
tc,ng tro,ir r{irlnoriya i."L"T""a ',ir'r.
rrrrdorrhtetl^". \\AS tlrc glt.at .,,,r
lo i,,"Jing
*hich ri'as constructetl,in"the pr.t'iLrrt ;;ts; out of \lanihrr.av:i'i
: although Aggabocrhi rI
built liantalay tank, thc p'oject tt*
and thc rvork on
ii.ir*a
feeder- canal was compls,:+
're
length of canai jrom the Alaha.a-clarrir',"tt'r.".rg1,
"tl t ir'piJ.."rsor,s reign. The total
Minl0riva tank, to
I(antalav tank *as norv.!4$ m'"t, ur^ori-""r;ril#';#r.l*ir.
the .iava Gang;i (Iialavaiia-Tira",iva --i:ocla_:ifa).
^.
(liritata or (iiritara tank is p'csent
Giritaie tank betrve en Mif neriva
ancl Polonnaru'a'r;i it *'as tu.i trorn.-t-rr"^ir"nrr.^.#.iir""'"''il1";r,
*'h.icJr to'k ofl at the
l,oint u.Jr,t.rr th"--l.rl.,atrr_eila
and ivhich
*ay for 6} m,es to (}iritak tarrl. This begari
lvoun{its
tank has a buncl
r,3oo feei iong and 53 feet bigl. an
a.ea of aro o.r.. u.rrJ'irliiate,
r:tro acr{-'s. The o,rtension oJ tiie
Arahrir.a.-Minrler.iya-Kav*(r.rid.;f;;r".
to ir.rclucle the'rri, tanks, I{antalav ani
. pr"i"irJJr' n,r
llt. , rnal LrY a tur.lht.r. 3i rrriles rr,r,rl,l"'ritofc,,fr1,
necesslriiv hlLvt, r.equire,l a
srrbsta'tial incrt':rse i' the s'pi{-r'uf *'ui", ,
artl tu tl.is periocr cau be
assignecl the cc'.st.u.tion rf iii" unttoL-..-.rrr.
clan on the
reacircs oi tlrr: Iial* Gariga, tlrc i'.in
'ppt:r
tributar-y .f the Aurban Gaiiga.
n'cl of the c;rnal.
rulincd, *'Jrich car:ric.ith. .urrt". fiom th.is
cl.i.
'o.,1.
!9r z.S niiles ancl disch.argeil it intci tir" ,S,liirn" Gariga just abovc th.,
54}
-17'12+ acre ieet. and, an

.iiig1r,

"r
ar-ta

Alahair-a clar.n.

t*n].,
,hanli_,\or-ahi
of

later callecl \.likrr-:rma.hirthamba, *,as oa tirc

c:rst
tire llahar.rili Gariga about rt\ ,rriiu. ,orrtl, of poionnamrra
anc.l
is .'*'breachcd and krru'ln as p,,lettavir,a
: tne placc commanclecr on.
.f thc i'rporta.i forcrs across the i'iver ancl'-as
trte scene of more than
battle'aa The name i\Ialombu is preser'ed i" pi..""t"itii.-rr""^
'ne
Ii.rali in H'.rulu parata, Anur.rdiraliu.o,lirtri.t, and trre tanli
must
in thrt regio^: prob.bly'it is t'e iarge, breach.J iurrl
n,
l".r aDout
'll.:-,,
rrr)rl\'ral
{) i'rlrs .*st of liriliirava. Endoragalu
tanr< is pr-csenr
Inamaluva tank, 5 miles from Dan.lbulla.
42" A..S.C.A.R., r937,
.13. J.I. to.

z7-qq

44. ,\L 25. tt:72.

ro.

25. 47 ; N.S" :6 : ?).t\J. 2.5. z6 ; Raj.

37 ; I.ku. r46t
r1; N.S. ::6 ; E.)L :5. z6; Ilctj" 37; Thu. t46.

STI0TI,T ACCOLTN.I

OF'I.HE HTSTO]IY 0Ir IR,R,]'GATI0N

.iVORI{S il?

7th century' therefore' th9 mgre

In the second clecacle of the
r'vere then ft'rncttontng
,,rpo"tt tiir'tft" *u;ut iirigation sciicmes rvhich
icre :
-

River-Diversion Schemes
Ga'riSa--c-11"h'-\.i.-a]}:";:111'"
(i) Hattota clam on the l{alu.'\lahrila
canal ( ijritalf' trttl<
un tjte Aml'an CariSa
''
txnl '':tnrtl- Iiavtrdulla
:tnal
lank
\lir,neriila
canal'
of
95 milcs
l(antalJy tank : total length
lcngth of
canal:
Fabbatiinta
(ii) Dam on l\fah.aviili Gariga
,'anal, lbottl 2o lltilcs
tiariga \lini1','
(NI inil),.) (la|),,rr Jlalravali
{iiir
' ' }larrimIkhaia
l7
miles:'
c'rrral'
oi
lcngtir
1'1'ulrnl 'ly
' on"r:
of
(iv) Dam ou llalvatta Ova-calral--(]iant's Tank : kngth
tatial, t; rrliles'
'

Reservoir Schernes
(i) Kalavfi'a-Jaya Gariga canal-'lisivirv;i: length oi
carral, 54 milcs

(ii) Jaya Cl;;J tttt"1-t"lt"1=Naccaclirva tank-canal-ianli : length

f
x11rr*r.t"al'.-t""uf

-f
o{ calral, zo miles ;
tanl<
;
\{ahakanadarava

"trragalkaclavala

(iii)
(iv) Huruiuviva ;
(v) Tannim,uriPPu-kuian,
(vi) fissamahdrama tanks
Theabovelistisincompleteinthatitdoesrrotincltrdenanrecl
whose. clates of

tanks rvhich are not iclentifia'ble no\\:, as rvell as tank):'

of thcse rvere uncloubtedl-v- Iarger

i:onst^rction are not t"tor.i.a : some
tlltt total
length of the major canals
than those uirt,r"--.itin".li.
rvas rvell over 25o miles.

'lhis achievcllent, accomplislrecl by th'' 7th. centur-"- is a''t'ery

it put
llotoni. and ciistinguisheci one'because inany "f tht': p:?]:,:1'' Tht:
nndtrtaking'
a;
rcgar'1ec1
t"*ra"tiil'l*
|rtrj"r
i; h;;d1oa"1',
\\'eld
l'e:ponsilrle for plirrrlirt3"[r-sigrr,anrl con'trtt''tt']ll
.:lricI ettgirtet'ts
''ntn
{)[
...t int hi;i'-:tl i.."lrrri' ai ai'ilit''" as rieli ..i lrr{'rr
iit
'Ji;;;bi; h;,;" t.nutri.ag" ol r'hat quagirics th'\'..'..adi" \\hat
";
'li:i;,'""\ir;:
ir. tnilt ,:ulc-ulatiirns-anc1 l'hat inslrutnln|,;
thev cmplol-..i
i;;;i."
r-4lrt:rlllPtl lll
,1,-., ,,...1 : lill tlrat iirformet i'rn. utrri''h nlu:l ha\'( bul'l'
i' in' t'icv!"lut':tli"
ittr|3t
l"
lrrie
u"t
r
"tt
il
:,r';;
;;
i,]''. rrrrir-'-'li""l.|""i
"u"i
1or thtr
tit'f-s
rucctit
i*
.,.t
cart.iecl
i.,r- ti"*'"s
;it;ilri.
lcrc
nsrcl
t,i.iex,
instiumi:nts
ttrtLh:rt
..1.,.r.0,
;;.,_;;ii;" ;;'";;i.;i
sectiotls
sr-r'e
ltr
instrut'ents.
as moclet-tr
,.rrablc of the sa're
.",*Jt"aa"iu.allre [:rll 11 11- 'ttl\' 'i1 in'r1'< i' ;t ttlil'
'f in.'"", i.nt in a tlilc.
tctions one font

i1] lr)rr:t

l'ol.

l,-I

I, (,ytu

Series), IgilN

after the cleath of.-\ggabodiri II trrc Island \vas prulrsecr

. .. Sirortlv
in
r:i'ii
r'i'ar, ancl insurrecrion a'd tii:noii .;;ti"";Jl;;'".
pJ.iid.i"rirtv
t-ears colnnl{jncine about.t}rc 1-ear 6zo. The rival prin.*.,
i,to .irril"a"a
t,r the thr,;re cxhaustecl trro r"-ro.*.".
State 'rreas'ry and then
fcil *pon ihe L\[.nast'-'r.irs,.p1uncleri"s "ii'rt.

AtlHOP..IACCO{-iNTolrT}IU}II$]]oRYo}'IljliIGATIONltr'oR}isi9'
iii) llahitrda ll (lll ;'tll rlrurrBtll{j rletI iht' rrcir oi Kilai irp;
(I{aiaviiva) : this l'ork rvas proba.bly carried out
in connection rvith thc Kalavilva augmentation schenc
u,lten the I)eurada Oya I'as <1ammec1 aborre Nirlandii
ancl the rvater rr'as conveycd by canal to the Darr-rbulla

th;'cJd,;#,

;;,i #iiurri".
and eicrr l,rt.aking into tJie ,,,.nr,,,i._.ilon"b"rs
*'.i;,""i1 ,,f
ttrn'f
';";;:"#,Iil=,"'*r,"
nuiri.anro,
Dakkhina Vihara orlrl
( eiiya;
comprisecl the sotcliervt ..'1i141.
1,-r:.i1 -r.p114q". Tl. p"rpl;-r"#.riii g."u,
tnis''r'y [r'om luss .,I Iiruj,cr.t]
-an,t'fieIfi procltrce. !" ;;;';;;i*ltiu'
*'o'hs *e'c undertakcn : orr'rlLe
other hl.nd,'rno."^in *ri.,.n.i*'*"r"
neglected and suffere.d damlge. M;";;;**a,
r,r,ho ascencled the
throne.in 684 with palra'a
; ut ;;iroig .,rt*. and re-establisJre.
ordered.gor''ernrnent, h't his^i,f
ener-gierl'lrJai.".tecr i' the mai'to the
le-loration of rrhat uas irr rrrin o, "aisr"pal.
(6) The gth, 9th and lOth Centuries
The 8th, qth ancl :.otJr c,.rrturies \,\.ere,
pcriod oI affiuerrce for the si;]i;Ls;"n;iior.for. the greatcr. par.t, a
.A.r.chitcctrral
and art
-. -pirrivu"
forms attained the z,en-ith
t'h.."
,o-*
i nvasion about Sao a n.
"i."i"*"] ." ff;;;; .'.r,,rrli,,g i.i"u,,
t h. s "r
nn"r"i"'ur-;
Irut the invaders did not r.i" pu-.".,ioi',,i'th".,,.,,,ntr-y
: after piraging
artrl rlestrovine $hat rtt". ,.,.ita,-in"y
,r"ii'iirr"*-,"* iroilrrr"
Sinha tesc tii nq" (Sera r ;"d"J;;;i:;d "Thi.
"*.i"ah'milialio'
"
i
*i*"g.a
tn E6z b1' a Sinjralese counter_iirvasion
oiFa,.rdlra in aiJ oi a"fr;;iy*"
asprrant to the throne r.vhich. resulted in
;he d;t;; ft;;rfr-.i',ir.
Pa4{yan.king,
_the
the Sinhalese
snpported, and the recover'of
""tii.o"ing
ihe"i-;h;';;1"."
royai tie-as.r.es'r,hom
rvhich the p;lntlvans
hacl previously carr-iecl, arrir"
-\s"il
;rffiffi #;*io..*
crossetl t,rc seas in er5 t , tl," _
pir.r,.iya l<ing,1om to assist
lhe I,ind'an=
irr thcir strugglc uith tlir.(,-,|.-r.s. f'rirt
ttiis ?lm" tn-V,,ai"r",f '**,"rl .rro
after a very severe battle ani ."toi"".rloll"ir:
f,"i".ru".i. i"';;; .,
the
colas
i'r'aderl ce.r1o'. ro"ug".r irr" co*ntry a'c1
947
u,ent ar,v;ry
rvith their spoils' A ie* r.ears rot"r"G
iristraknta king, Iir:sna rII,
invaded the northe'r part oi Ce-vlon
il ;,
c.nquer the rsrand. l-ioon afterwards therc foilerl i' his atternpt t.
uhich also failcd irr jts objrct. i,, ,i*r.".1r" was another c.'a i'vasi'*
durins rvhich rhc Sintrat,..c,i,",,gh",r]"i years oI rclative ;rr.ospcr ir1,
irl.-rjri.',r*5'i"fro.u
lour times, were s'ffici*rth- st.c,ng i;r;r't
successf'lly three attempts
to conquer the:rn and to counter-]n".d; ih; Inclian
continent <in twt.r,
occasions, the recorri of irrigation,uoit.
.orrrtructed is, by previous
"
comparatir -1.,' r"neagrc o"f. irrr,rort<s
crrunr*At"a'...
;i"il1#:'ri
i

; s#;.;

(i)
.15. nI.

48.

\'

Aggab_9rttri.
1;rs-72,1) rcstored tion,.ligima- tanl<
.-.-.. (built
\-,
b1- LTpati..ir. t r u.ir;ch had breached;

g, r48 : 5r.

j.,

"

73,

.t2r, r3o : 53.

-3r1.

Oya ancl thence to Kal:Lvtiva. This prolriclecl a

of u'ater
assignecl
also
be
periocl
To
this
may
foi'Kalaviiva.
tlte construction of the canal, about 16 miles long'
su"pplementary and almost perennial supply

u'hich carriccl rvater Jrom l(a1av:iva, on the south bank

of the Kala Oya, to Tintiligamakavapi, norv breached

and knorvn as Siyambalagamuvaviiva, near Galgamuva;

(iii)

Sena

II

(Mili1'e;
{853-ES7) (a)extendcdthc Manimekhala

scheme initiated b-v Aggabodhi I, giving the canal a

total length of about 47 miles : this li'as an engineering
achievement of the first rank, and the canal is described
in the Mir.ripe inscription of the early r3th century as

'like unto a noblc

son given birth to by the queen

named Mahavdli-gam ';ac (b) built a dam at Kaf'thantanagara to add to thc supply of KS4avdpi (Mahakaaadar:eva) rvhich ri'as one of }lalrasena's tanks : this refer s
probabl-v to the dam on the Mah''atta Oya near Maradam-

iadavala from rvhich a canal about rz ililes long

conveyed ltater to ilahakaqaclarava tank; and (c)
built i canal leacling out of )Iir.r4eriya tank : this ma--v

be the canal n-hich luns to the east of Giritale tank ancl

then turns north-eastuard

II (8EZ-8qS) (a) dainmecl the l{ahanadi (\ralale'

Ginga.) in Rohar.ra : this may be a re{erence to the clanr

(iv) Uclaya

on this river at Tlinktiiiya from tvhiclr a canal about

14 miles long carricd water to Pant.lukolambavapi, noiv
the large, abandonccl tank knorvn as Paldikkulama;
(D) buiii a clam on thc Malvatta Oya to.ser\rL'-as tJre
heaclr'orks of a neu' canal, probably the left bank canal
about zo miies long rvhich fed Akattimurippu tank in
l{annar ciistrict : tltis tank, rvhich ha's a lol' bund
4| initres iong, also haci a supplementaly
:9YtS nf
supply frorn i 6-milc long channel from the Kal Aru;
enlargetl the bund of X{ayettivapi (MahavilacciS'ti
*"a 1r;'v-hich
been built by Vasabha: this,-un-

tank)

had

doubteclly, rvas the augmerrtation scheme under which

the Jaya Ganga (Kalivriva-Tisirv:iva Yoda-dfa) ivas

tapped and the u'ater carried for about i miles along
46. E.Z.Y. t6r.

{i0

JOURNAL, F,.A.S. (CEYLON)

VoI.

VII,

(Neu; Series),

tgig

an artificiar canal, the 'ralarra-rira,_and then dischargecl

into the tarava oya to be i'rpoirndecl in },Iahavii-acciya

tank,

III (938-946) carriecl olt a general r-estoration,

repairing, the dcc.avtcl buncls of a-ll the ,rojoi iu"t
s
and the Jarger canals.

(r') Sena

'lJre inscriptioris
of the periocl aclcl rittle information. Iiassarra
icir3-92' declares in
inicription that ; rrv rri"iai* rr..iiltili

_an
tht-- cultivation of lrcicrs by
o{
'reainsthe
rrrrI I'ulrrrrrli. (Agrri 1 ]1e disp.ilc,r

ro,,

invoca.tii' 9ip;g;,r'ip".i""v"l
'rr*r,i"1T,,'
icar-of lzLrrrinc-,.rr
rr

''Fb-. 172) clarms that he ' ri'pai'crl tlre dilay'irlarerl

tenks arrtl i,t- rn,,rn,
the *atrr rhrrs srrplrlicrl ftn lrrrt o"
t"
1l
tr,.'...,:.ii,1",,,:'toro
;,,
I t\ l{}n
"ir,'i

'rhe

for the appar-ent clecrinc in.the activity o{ b''cring

large neu''easons
darns, tanlis :rnci canars--ont5, hatf a cl.zen riai.,i
L,orect,
:r're mentioned-in the sth, gth a*cr rottrr ..,rt.oiet -"..,''rrntt-""iailv
cliscernible. rt cannot. be suggestecl trraf satu,:ation point
tro,i rr""r-,

parakkamabilu I prov-ed ir"til;;

i r.ri,..u'fv iri:;
r.5o. years later . Ther.e rs no reasorr {o s11p11esg
-qrcat,,undertak.irrgs
rnat
tne norrnal rale of increasc oI thc
Poprrlation rvas nut nraintu.inetl
pace u'ith it the cuitivabte area irtutrt have
!o
h;41;"il;;;;"rr_
ively
';cep
increased. It nay be that l.hat hacl teen alreaclv accomolishecl
rraq, rvith occasiorral r.xlensions, srrfficir.nt
: lx,rlratn tfa"i.
clicl not bcgin to be utilised to ih" fulr c.rteit
"..fi_I""rL.
ot ir"i, pioa".ii"ii/til
the qth centurv. 'fhen, apparenil;r, if \ve may so'infer
iro# the
referenoes to famine
r*iit1'"iiJ"a
l"
itr-e inscriptio'sof liassapav
""a abovc, .foorr r'r.ises.;riJ;.1-;;iiil*'i.ris"Ti""
anrl llahirrrla lv qrroted
s1'stcm lailed to lunctiorr to.tlrc lull thr.orrgh ,atiiral
causes,,,^ i,Fgl..t,
ar, I thc t ime for corrst rrrctirrg. gr"ut,,,"rr: r.h;;;;-.;
;;p;";;[;;g
"ha,r.
ot oot".l
been clelayea fry- tni' i";;;i ;"r,
lll_.,..1.^:
:.dertakings
.risrurDances ancl conquest during the
second hati of t"he roth century.
A{ter every prolongerl-civil *ar or' lurcign ccinrluest, the chr.'iclt:
',
"e, ortls the restora.tio'r ol brcache,l
tarrl<s .i,.l .nlilr.
l:h"' j,i",:.i,,g
of ta'rks filled u'itir *'att' and tlestroying the u'eirs on the cArurrs ,
;rs
a stratagem in lr'arfarcisrnentionecltoith"e lirsttimeintherzthctrnturv,
I'rrt it is r"r.r r likell- that thc
l)r3(.ti,.e t,e,f an earlier gr.igip,r:, Orrirr
;ti)ai t llu:lr dc.tlur'l iorr h1- (.nHnlic> ,rr. bl
r.atr,, drva.tiritrg floo,ir.
ilrtcrrtqrtion {or any lengtii of tiLn. proper-maiirtenance .ruiirrt-i*,ru,
br:en follou'ecl b1' slverJtl*mage, ;r'f
rh"r.t.,,.*,'in"lrr"
",if i,i-"u.ni"g.
antl tartier, thc+"maintcriance
of tir"
,r"ii ,,,,-1ri,,*
,1"_ll._l:lrlll\irr.iBation sYstcm in r'iicient u'orl<ing coi-rclition rr,ouicl".rl
har.c cr.lrstitirtcrl
.r \:erl' important responsibilitrr oi the state.
rcachecl because

,+7. L.Z.L 5t,:rs rcr-iscri by P:rratrit'it:rrra i, -\rtib.s

-\siac, X\-I, \'. 3, lSri.
,:.38.

.1\. li.Z.l.
q9. -\1. ttt. 61, 65.

ASHoli.I.ACCOITNT0i|Tljl.lHiSTORY()l.III1'.IGI\.I.ION$'oltKrstjr
Sritrle tanlis and can.'rls a,re mentionect in the Lllrronicles in contert''
rincourcctecl ivit.lr their corr:;trnction or restoration, but terv of thenr
aro important. :l'he Rahcra canal $'as granted to Abhayagiri Yihar-.i
by Silnkala (.5rll-53r) : Ra]]er-ir was vcfy close to
at Anriraclhapura
'Anureil5apr-r'a.
In th. roth ccntury there t'as a can;ri
.nc1 nortlr of
namcd tirc Iioionib canil ri'hic,h led u'a.tcr au,a]r {roru Tisar':iva to t}re
northl'artl. Possibiv Rahera ancl l{olomb t'cre sections of the main'
zz,mtle long canal ri.hicJr issuecl from Tisav:iva as a c,ontinuation of

llalvatta O1'a: tht

tirc Jaya t;inga ancl ran on the left banl< of thc 'fhe
Ciramatikavar e
te.miniti -,n otlhis canal caurot norv be traced.i'0
(a'rlal, g|irrrted to tite Ilahlr ihara h}' llalrlnagiL ('ltr-'1,-57r)' ues associei"a rii?f-, Ciravapi or Sirivalassaviva built by }lahasena : tl.is tank
.r.ppcars to havc been knor,n as valahassa or Siravalaskdti5,-a a.fter
i*'"rllorg"*.nt by Aggabrclhi II : it * as a rnajor worktut its identitljs rrot n"o*.knouln.;'""t'data I 17,,17-3or) built the Nilagalla Vihira
,i"J t"t g., canal in tire vicinitr- ri hich he donated to the Vihara : this
"
t. an exteniio' ol the original -Minipe,ca"na"i of
prrb"frfl,"refers
lgg"U"iffri I or to a separate scherne whigh r,vas afterr'vards 'rergecl
tt'r." l{inipe sche*e.5, fhc (,e!!humba canal rvas gr*'ted to
",itit
Abhar,,agiri vihara by x,Iahincla III (8or-8_o,1) ^and $'as connected $ith
Gritupviva built by 1lnhor"',,,- : the length of the bund of G:itupvri'a
is given in a rzth ientury inscription as r,r35 rivatt"si"
The iuter-connectecl, major irrigation schemes functioning in thc
qth centur-v, tningling the lr'a.ter-s of the Amban Ganga, Iiald O-va'
on
-ilr,,1"rng.u,-{r' aid ilialr'atta Oya, are iilusirated diagrarnn-ratically
d-iagram
in
this
isolated
is
siro*'n
Gang"L
\{ahar-ir1i
The
irage 651.i'a
i'r"io.tr.,' tJre

link u'ith {lthdral

thloLrgh Parakkamasamuclda' ancl

(iiritale tanlis, came a{leirvar-cls in the r-cign of Parakkama.bahrr 1

{r 153-rr8{r).

inJornra.tion jn thc L'hronicles or epigraphs about tlrt'

date of crtnsti:nction of th,e: in]mense Pachr.ali (Padavi5'a)itf-it is noi
iri thc iist of tanks rcsiorccl bv \iijal'abahu 1, although Poralikanrabairt
r-estorecl it -,nor cnn tht' anciint naile of the 1argc, breac|ed \''ahir"lkacia
t,r,-rk ;; the yan Oya ire icle'tifrcrl. .\ c:rnal joinecl the Ya. Ova and

Thcrc is

ro

zr6.

4r. roo.
3r : 70. rl. :o, 33 ; N.5. z{t', Iltj. 37'
53. LI. qs. qt ; C.J.S. I. 173.
(){ tflis
c:lnal alncl-tarrk svstern irr
li'art
54. Thcre is an informative lnap
^c1a1,
II, facing
groirier',
Anciet'tt It'ri,gatiii" Woi'A's,
la$"; r:. tltr-t'r atr,1u-t, ftie
in llre \dnrini-trrrtion l(' purls ol lhe
l:trgnr tatrks, ,, nt*
1"ibli'lt"d
"'"
be rrs.unted that thcy
but it irrust'not
ri;.-e.roi or irrig.rtion,'"it""d'
""t"t1t1,t1,.1111""t
the arcient dirlnensions : in sotne cases the capacities rvcrc greltcr in zutcrent
5r

5'2.

,1F.

,11. 49.

times-

54A. Its earliel naure rvas Dhanavilpi and

ll'aranavitan:l in Lr.C.-R. X\-I, ;o.

Se:e

it s':rs built by Moggallina II'

'1i,2

JOURNAL. R.A.S. (CEYLON)

trloI.

VII, (Nez'

^S'erie.s),

the Kafadara oya, but nothil]g is saicl about its construction.

l!)51)

"rher.e

g1e o!he1. large tanks in Rajarattha, no\v in r'in or restorecl, u*rose

i-dentity.lies concealed in the chronicles, notably, Ira'raimarlu-kila* in

Jgffna district, Pavat-kularn and Vavunik-kulam in the \ravuniv2

district, Allai tank i' the Trincomalee clistrict which rvas suppliecl
by a feeder canal from-the virugal Aru, 'rabbovavd'a (Tabba'rLpi) in
Puttalam district rvhich u'as fecl- b5r a canai abottt zz miles long'from
a tlam on lhe NIi O5"a, and Panikkan-kularn, close to thr. borrnd"ar v t,I
thc Putlalam and AnLrlitlJrapura disi-r.ir.ts, l.hiclr iva; lhc ternrinaijorr
of a- canal about 14 niles long on tlre right bank of the I(ala Ova.
ln the absence of historical or epigraphicaf evidence there is little dlse
t'go upon. Archaeological evidence, based on the str*cturar desiq'
or materials of dams, sluices, flood cscapes, bunds ancl other featurcs,
is too slender to build up a chronologicai series.
Ttre historical information abo*t irrigation r,vorks in Roirana is
scanty.. There was nothing tlrere at any time on the scale of the u,lorks
in Rajara!,fha. The clam'on the Vaiave Ganga at Trinktitiya has
already been mentionecl. A canal about z5 milei rong took oit"on thc
right bank of the Kirinda ova from a dam Jt Tunmoclera, near l'elulla.
and einptied into the llaiala Ara : no'cference exists to itsconstruction.
Further dorvn, the same river r.vas damrnecl to feed. vir-avila, Tisavd.va
and Yodavdva tanks at 'rissamatrarama. lt is probabre that the large
llaqdagala tank in Yala, nor' breachccl, rvas ionstructecl before tfie
roth century , i! rvas fed by a canal about ro miles long taken ofi the
right bank of the Kumbulkan Oya from a dam at "Mairavelatota.
Large tanks in Rohala, other than those rvhich have alreadv been
mentioned, v'ere Mahakal r.li);a, Unniccai, Rrlgam, Ampdrai, Irakiemarn
and xd.kulagorlakandi;'a in the Rat ticaloi. tlistrictl and" Jiaclagiri} a
and Ridiyagama tanks in Hambantota distrrct.
I ater inscriptions slxak of ' the tn'elve 5;reat tanks ,, ancl one mav
surmise that the selection of the tlvelve u,ai made from parakkami
samudda, Giant's Tank (? Manarnatta), Milr:,reriya (Ifanihira),
Patlaviya (Padivipi ), l(a li vri va ( K aiavapi L Naciacl u va (iratiapa.inavap!), l{ahakanaclarava (I(anavapi), Vahalkacla,' I{antalar,
(Gangatata), Ma-gallaviva (tlahagaila), i'Iahagatkadurr*ia

l,Iaharlarj_
galla),. K_avuclulia (Tissavaddhamanaka), )Iahavilacciyi (Mayetti),
si)'ambalagam'va (Tintinigamakavapi), Nur-araveva. pancrikklla'ra
{Pandukolamba), and Rugim-kulsm.'5;'

ASHOITTAOCOUNTOFTHEHISTOI{YOFI}iR,IGATION\ITOR'I{S63
the C6fa empire ancl the Cola emperor's l-iceroy rtrled the cortntry {rom

Po1otttt".n,t". Cdl-a rule laste4 7 7 yea"rs' I ht great

>inhalese liberator. \'ijay.Lbahu l, ri'as consecrated kinqat.\t,rtti, llt;L'
pura in rozo, but mnvca tlLc capital pr.rmanr'ntly to Polottna|uva.
iIe had re-con.luered a lancl *,boie rvcalth had. bee' pillaged, *,hose
great architectural rnonuments u,ere in-diiapidation or ruilt, allrl rvhose
iirigation system, on rvhich it depencled for existence, u'as i' disrcpait'.
Hiiesourcls in an impoverishecl country for rehabilitation rvcrt-'slenrler
rvhile the task before trrim u'as immense. Naturally ltr gave urgent
attention to the restoration of breachecl tanks and canals. The
-irrigation rvorks specilically mentionecl as lying breached ancl repairr:d
by him ll,ere5s:-h.is seat

(i) \iahaheli tank, the same as Malr.a-eli built bv Dhatusena;

(ii) Sareheru tank, not mentioned prcviously ;
(iii) Maheclatthika tarik, the samc as nfahadatta aucl ]'Iadiita,
built b.y Dhatusena and enlarged b5r Aggabodhi II ;
(iv) Panclavapi, not mentionecl previousiy: this--rtas the
original tank at Palcluvasnuvara near Hettipola,
sublecluently enlarged by Parahkamabahu I to form
the first Parakkamasamudda ;
(v) Kaialahaliika tank, not mentioned previousll', proba1ll1'
the Nlaclahapola tank in Hiriyala Hatpattu
(vi) Erandegalla tank, the same as E4dEragallaviiva built by
;

Aggabodhi

II

Polpitigama,

(ix) I(ittaggaboclhipabbata tank, not mentionecl prcviously ;

(x) Valahassa tank, buiit by Upatissa I and eni:rrged by
Aggal,odhi

TT

(xi) Mahadnragalla tank, built bY Mahasena;

(xii) Kumbhilasobbhaka tank, probably the same as l(urnbiilakavapi built by Malidsena

(xiii) Pattapasana tanl<, buiit b]' Moggallana II ;

(xiv) Ka4avapi, the same as Khanuvitpi built by l'Iahiisena
errlarged l,y Scna

[[

ancl

(ro) 'I'ilavatthuha canal or Talavatu-iila, the restoration oJ

rvhicb htlecl \'Iilleri.var tank, rrtich rvas rtnbreached,
once again,

.i5. For irrig;rtion lc3u)etion. irr rlrc rri,,,iit.r.rl period, see I'aranavit:rna in
(t) Sir.Paul Pi"tis fclicitaiiott. l/olutne. 73 ) (j1\ Cq,.
.f Hisi. at: I Sor. Slirdir.s, l, r
anrl (iii) E.Z.V. rzTet.seq.

(vii) Dighavatthuka tank, ncit rnentioned previouslr'' ;

(viii) Maaclar.itaka tzrnk, not mentioned previousl]-, the prcsent
breached l{ahamadagala tank on the \'Ii Ot'a, near

il

(7) The tlth Century

qg3
In
the
Cola
eltpcror,
Rajaraja I, conquered the northem haif
. -.
of fieylon,
and in rorT tris son and succr,ss.r, Raietrclra I, extencled the
conquest to include the u.hole Islancl. ceylon became a prorzince ,:_rf

ui

56. M.6o
2036-C

48-53.82.

]I
JOUI{,NAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON)

64

It is furttrer
' on brooks,

Vol,.

VII, (Neu Series),1959

I built several new darns

rivers and streams and made his kingdom fruitful '. Only
stated that Vijayabahu

one new reservoir is mentioned as having been constructed, Baddhagu{'avapi,_nor,v the ruined Budugunavdva in the wild, south-eastern
corner of Uva.

The death of Vijayabahu I in rrro was follow-ed by a long

internecine struggle betr'r'een rival princes in the course of which the
country again became impoverished. The kingdom was divided into
independent principalities and rvarfare was incessant. Er,'entually,
Parakkamabahu became ruler of Dakkhiladesa abcut rr4o and ushered
in an era of power and prosperity and a mighty development in the
construction of new irrigation works lvhich lasted for about fifty years.5?

57.

For the irrigation works of Parahkamaba,hu f. see C.H.J.W.5z et seq.

$
I

'x

KALA

AMBAN GANGA
DEMADA OYA
DAM

DAMBULLA

CANAL 'l'o

KALAVAVA

AMBAN

ceNca

_-l

CANAL TO

ALAHARA
'DAM

CANAL

I..

AI,AHARA

beNer
t

PnINCI{I9>

TANK

]AYA

..,oJroruDAM ON
KALA OYA

RIGHT BANK

NAcceruva

-l
tt ----g-$ryqfo -

I'ALAVA
,ALA

TALAVA

CANAL

KANADARA

bv,r

t.

.oilot

KULAM

TANK

DAM ON

KALA oYA
LEFT BANK
CANAL

MAHA-

_t

ARU
I
I

DAM

RETURN TO

CANAL

LEFT BANK
CANAL
I

AKATTI-

MURIPPU
TANK

MAHAGALKADAVALA
TANK
I
I

OYA
I

DAM

RIGHT
BANK

>

KANADARA

AM

To

ALV.ATTA
OY A

MODERAGAM

GANGA

DAM

NUVARAVAvA --c4{AL

t..

MAHAVALI
I

CANAL

I
I

VILACCIYA
TANK

I'ANIKKAN-

CANAL

T1SSAVAVA

OYA

CANAL

NeNterAv

TANK

c.q.NcA

GAMUVA TANK

NevuDurre

GIRTTALFI

MINI.{ERIYA
TANK

titt

MAHA.

xeryeoanAve

CANAL

DAM

OYA

t--_l

MINIPE

MALVATTA

CANAL TO

OYA

MAHA'/ ALI GArtGA

MALVATTA OYA

OYA

RIGHT BANK
CANAL
I

GIANT'S

TANK

PABBATANTA
CANAL
I

_t
MADURU
OYA
(PROBABT-Y)

Index to lrrip,ation Works Mentioned in the Text

Abhayarrapi
Abhivzrddhamanakar.Api
AbivadunnAvdva

41
.18

$Bgivaddhamdnakavipi
Aka!,limurippu-hul:rm . .
Ahvadunnivivzr,
Alahbra Yoda-iila
Alavadunn:rvd.r'a

Alisaracanal ..

4E
4E

5.+, 5e

,1t
4E, 1qt,

..4E,

Alisara-Giritata canal . .
Ambaduggavipi

-5o

4li
+i), 5r), .fu
-i()

4t)

Ambutthivapi ..

6z

AmpA.rai-kulam

EadagiriyavAva

()4

Baddhagunavipi
Ba.duluvAva.

53

Ra.sa.va.k-kula.m

11

Belpitiyaviiva

Bhayoluppalavipi

BudugunavAva

..

55

Cambu!,iv5,pi

Cambutlhivapi

48

CS,thamairganavipi

Ciramitiliavira canal

Ciravapi ..

Dhammaramnavipi
Dhalavapi
Dighavipi
Dighavatthukavipi
Divagunavd.va

5o

'13

63

45
45

45
17

Duravipi

-t5, 56, 63

63

.
..

.
.

Garrtaravipi
Gd,tupvivzr"

Getthumba, canal

Gijjhakirtavapi ..

11
.55,

-56

55

Hulugallerr-Ava . .

5r

Hunclarivipi

'+-5

I{uruluvAva

5r

In6"ilaluva.vd"r'a

56
6z

IrakkArnan-hularm

48
44, +8, 53, 59
,1E,
6o
Java Ganga-llayettivApi canal
J aya Ganga-Pattapisir,r 2r'i1pi can:rl -5,1

J:rmbutivipi
-[ay;r GangA
a)'au api

14

Kali-B:Llalu-viva
KalalahallikavApi
Kalamvdva

63
55

,i8

K:ila4ikolonnavAva
Kalapahanaka-vavi

5I

T{a1apasAnavApi

::
.

5"' 5r

45

-5o

Kilavapi

++, 52, 59

Kal?i.w6.r.a.

Ka

li r ;i r rr-:itr

canal .

rnl

rit

Iiga mu

59
r-.t r a r a

52, 59

KalivAva-Tissar':i.va Y6da-ala
,1,1,

Kllikolornnir tva

48, 53, 59
4E

Kalivepi

48
48

Kaliv6.samavd.r.a
KAli yavadanavAva

Kalunnaruvdva

4tt
,

5.3,,

Kalusiiubalavivzr-

Kalusimbalaviiva

55, 56
48
.18

I{anadil'adorar':i.va

K.i.nar-:1pi

5r,59,

K:rnirriva
IiAngomur.Ava

.5o,

.jr

63

5r
.15

-55

Kant:r1iy-hu1am

6r

Kavu{umigal uvd.va

(l

KebagziLureruviva
Iaenalavapl

52

-r.t

Hovatuvlva

5.t

..5c,6r

l^

4E
-)0

Kararlbal<ulam
Katthantanagara dam

55, 56

tl,

lliriva.rlunn ar.d,va
llorirrilavd"va

Kdndarlar.dva

.Gimar,rivipi
'Gairgatali,vAva

Giant's Tank

Ha.mbatthivirpi

..

Kalar-An:n'Ava

..51'61

Dfrratissakavapi

Gairgittrtar.'ipi

.'

.59

Erandegallavipi

GorldigamavApi

KalatAvdva

53

Dubbalavipi

Enddragalar.dva

..5r,56

4,9

6r
50, 52, 6r

Demada Oya dam

.5er

Giritatavapi

47

..50,51

Danavallivd,r'a

. ' lf, -)u

GiritaiGvdva

4o
61

Bulankuleum

Cayantivdpi
Chalhlravapi

GiritalAviva

KavudullavAva

5{;

5I

..

-t9

5r
5o
+7
4S

68

JOLTP"NAL, Ii.A.S.

(CEYLOT\)

I'ol. I.tI. (Neu Series),I9i9

4E, 53 trlalisuviiva
53
48 Malr'atta C)ya-i\fahakaladarava canal
.. -5o,5r
".5r,59
50 llirniniyiva
5 r
l,IzlnAk:itii':i.r
a
O_v:r-Malata
Ara
canal
6::
Ilirindar
4E
.. .;J, 51
Ki'-nrir.rirrir.r
5J Mirtatnaturirrr
K:ittaggaboclhip:rbb:rtavapi u3 M:rnanl<itti)'av:iv:1,
4E
tJz
.
Krrlrirlrrvay,i
4d Mar.rrlrgallr:ivit
l\lrlrlrvSpi
jo
Kolirrritaril,i ..
46
tr3
I(.kliicla'av:vavi'a
io Mantl.rr-atakar-i.pi
-Nlirirgul)llavivd
..
Kullttnl,:r8irtltakavipi .
48
il lvlan3u.ruvav'r
Kolanrbavir,pi
48
47 ManihiravApi'.
di
Kolo'rb can'al
50,
MAnikavd'tir-iLva .
Ktrlorngalur6ruvrirra
4&
47 llanimeithala
dam
.
.
t(uiattiiayapi
55, 59
;i
..55,56
KumbAl:rkavipi
..50,-5r Lvlatolnlluvava "
'N{a1'antn-ipi
Kurnbhi]:rsobbharkavripi . . it, b:
17
..47,sct
Kuradidurarrir,L ..
50 Mayelllvif i
Mir.rihiriviva
Kuru'6zrr.ir.pi
5<>
.SS Nlirrihirjl;rrdru
..
I(urunclur.d'r ..
;;
5tr
flinihorur'5r a
50
Mi4ipe
clrrm
and
canal
,
6r
Lcr.rar,.d.r,a,
'
55, 59,
45 lvllnr.n.rrva\ ava
63
49, 50,
63 |ji4rleriya-Kantaliv canal
Iladahapolavd,r,a
56'
Mir}1Friya-Kavuduila
canal
Midaraiah'iiva . .
5r
56 }Iinr-ih canal
'
l{adAtaviva
.. i5. ;6
47
. . 50' 5r
I\I5.c1atugarn;rvd.va . . "" l: I\loraltaparakavipi
lvrora\-apl
Miiddahiiti.vaviiva
5 r
53 lluvaganruvrtvdra
-.
50
-Nlielivavrirlr
;3
lligalluvArl
,
5t
Iiiccatlttvavdva.
.
Maha,.lablrivdva
41, 54
i:
canal
. . s9,
Nlahddiragailavipi
54
9i
I1:-"^i9i_"-,::I"r'arravava
i\d}{rara-\-av1
Maliidattavipi
,,
4+
53, 56, 63
Ndlikeramahithambavipi
,l{aha-eli-r'iivar . .
.5-3
56
Ndpilobardrr
.
Ilahagalka,l,rvalavd va..
'
45
5+
..5<l,5r Ncralur':iva
Mahigallavd,pi."
"55,56
NirJrnullavir';r
.
Il:rhSginr:*Jpi ..
5r
5tl
MahagurunalEvaiva
48
15 Nitupatpdraveir-a
Noccipotinar
dva
I'Iahihelir.irpi
63
48.
Nuvaravavzr
..44,54
Mahakar.lad;ir6r'avii,va.. ..5r,59
Nuvaraviver-Mahagalkaclavala
canzrl54
I{ahakandi]'avaiva
6z
l\,Iahaluvzrvd.va . .
50
canal
Pabbatanta
.
. 50, 52
63
MahamaclagalavS"r'a
..q5,6r
XlahamAl:u.iya..
45 Padaviya
.. 45,6r
Mahinranir.irpi ..
.. 50, 5i I'adivapi
Mahamidtdr.Cva .
53 Pidfrlakavi.Pi
53
Nlalramir.rifiva..
.. jo,5r l);r.tagumuviiva
53
Pirnankinam-kulatr
l\{ahinikkliavattivapi .
53.
4E
63.
l\{ahirnikkhavitthivipi
43 1,an.iii\':tpr .
Pinclikkulama
l\fahirimettivipi
'
4E
59
Pandukolambavirpi
Maharatrnerl6r,aiva
5t
59.
Mahatonbuvavd,va
63
56 Pa,ncluvasnur-arar-lla .
Mahaudaluvdva..
55 Patpinavdva
48
llahavilacciyavd.va
. . 48, 59 Pattapisinar.'ipi
44, +8, 54, 63
llahindatatavipi
55 Pefivipi
45
lVlakullavAv:l
48 Perumiyankul:Lm
4+
Makulumringunuvd.va . "
48 Pokkharapisavavd.pi
52
Miladeniyavir.al
45 Polv:rtt:Lvila
56
l,IilAgimavipi . .
45 PonnivavAr-a
5o
Md"lagarnuviLvliva
43 Pushumburaviva
50"

Kela,vasin.iir-:.i
Kelivis:rvipi
I(irinuvApi
Kinrbulr:rn:lr':iva

INDEX

R:Lcluppalavivzr
R:rhera canal

6r
17,52

J(ljuppulav:rpi ..
Itirn ni1.a r':i vaR:intisi.vAv:r

.5o

5r

Itirtgala.r'iva

.5o

llatt:rlzrvd.r'a
I tattamir.lakanda
Rattisarr-Ava

k avir p

-5o

50,5r

5o

Rir.tupulaviva
Ri<1i-vaga.mavdr-a

47

RudalavAr.a
Rirgarnkul;rm

45
6z

62

Sakurumboruvd.r.'it

.5o

Santanv:iva
Sarig:rnuvd.r-a. . .
Sareheruvi.pi
Siravaliskd.tiyar r Jvzr
Sirivaldssawd.vr . .
Sirivaddhamdn akavi-nri

Sirur.elavAva
Siyarnbaliigamu var-dt'a
S6digamuvavd.r':i,

SoragaltravAva ..
Suguluvavd.vzr . .
Suluga]uvdva

Surnanavipi
Suririlavd"va

Sululuvd"va

'l'alvatura Oya
-l'd.nkdtila

clarn .

'lannirrrurippu-ku[;rrn .
.
Thusavtpi
Tilavatthukel ca:ral
Tintiligamahrva pi
'f iss:r r.atl dha rnani kr
r-i oi
f issr vi pi (Anuradlrr purrrl

Tissavripi (lla hJgAnra)

53
63
5-5, 5tr, 61

50,

52,6t
.55

..

5o
52, 59
45
.5o

..

5o

50, 5I
15

..50,5r
50,

5o
59
55

'. 5r, 63
59
.. 50, 5r

44, 53,6a

47
va (A rrrrr.bdha j,u ra)
53,6r
Tissr vdva {Tissamalrari ma) 44,
. - 47,62
Topaviiva
f issavri

'Ioyavlpi

Udanvitivd.va

53

4'5

r alrva-alar

Talavatu-iila

6E

Vac.lunnavAva

45
5o

Vadunnavavd,va
\rahalkadarviiva

6r

VihanavApi
Vahavdpi

Val6hassavipi ..

5o
47

52" 55, 56, 6r, 63

Vanaka canal

46

Vannaka canal

46
48
5o

Vithamairganavipi

Vciangavitthivapi

VihiravApi

Viravilaviva

45
62

..

6o Yin Oya-Kanadara
-5r Y6daviiva

Ova

canal
6z
.. 47,62